Searching for Ghosts: The Quest to Prove the Paranormal

Almost 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, according to a recent Gallup poll. Believing is one thing, but there are people who want proof. They actively search for evidence that ghosts exist, and that spirits can communicate with us.

On this episode, we explore the quest to prove or disprove paranormal activity, and what motivates people to do this work.

A sociology professor who embedded with ghost hunters tells us about an unexplained, shocking experience that challenged his own skepticism, we’ll discover the fascinating history of a small lab at UCLA that studied paranormal activity, and talk to four siblings who, for years, kept the terrifying secrets of their haunted childhood home to themselves.

ALSO HEARD:

• We talk with sociologist Marc Eaton about his research on what drives paranormal investigators, and hear about a spooky experience that made him doubt his own beliefs. His book on the topic is “Sensing Spirits: Paranormal Investigation and the Social Construction of Ghosts.”
• From the time she was a kid, Mary Lim had been hearing about rumors that her family’s house was haunted. At first, she regarded it as a quirky bit of mythology — until strange things started happening. Pulse reporter Liz Tung talks with Mary and her three siblings about what they experienced in that house, and why it took them years to talk about it openly — even to each other.